Linux Format forums

Re: Experiences from using Unison

Bruno — Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:40 pm

Author: Bruno

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:40 pm

I'd recommend Unison, too. Once you are comfortable with its basic functions, you can get creative by synchronising over a network via an SSH connection and adding more "power user" settings to the config files. It is now an essential tool for me. Good luck!

Re: Experiences from using Unison

shaddack — Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:38 am

Author: shaddack

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:38 am

Thanks for your replies. I tried Unison yesterday to sync files from my netbook to my stationary computer and it worked well.

This is the kind of solution I have been looking for.

Now it is easy to bring some files with me in the netbook when I'm on the go and then sync them back when I get home. Excellent!

Re: Experiences from using Unison

nelz — Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:05 am

Author: nelz

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:05 am

Rhakios wrote:

If you were to make changes to the same file on two different machines, it would not merge them, rather it would prefer the most recently changed file.

That must be down to how you have configured it. It doesn't prefer either file when both are changed, it skips those files on a sync unless I tell it which one to copy.

I've been using Unison for several years (at least five or six) and have found it to be excellent at what it does, although I've only ever used it between Linux machines.

Re: Experiences from using Unison

Rhakios — Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:08 pm

Author: Rhakios

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:08 pm

shaddack wrote:

Hi.

I want some way to synchronize files between my laptop and my stationary computer. I was thinking about writing a script that uses rsync to do this. But then I found out about a program called Unison which seems to made exactly for situations like mine.

Does anyone here have any experience from using Unison?

Yes.

Quote:

Does it work well?

Yes.

Quote:

What about merging files and so on? Does that work as expected?

It copies changes to files rather than the entire file and by default will prefer the most recent version, regardless of the machine it is on. You can opt to change this behaviour on a per file basis. If you were to make changes to the same file on two different machines, it would not merge them, rather it would prefer the most recently changed file.

Quote:

Any disastrous bugs?

Not for the last three years AFAICR.

Experiences from using Unison

shaddack — Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:06 pm

Author: shaddack

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:06 pm

Hi.

I want some way to synchronize files between my laptop and my stationary computer. I was thinking about writing a script that uses rsync to do this. But then I found out about a program called Unison which seems to made exactly for situations like mine.

Does anyone here have any experience from using Unison? Does it work well? What about merging files and so on? Does that work as expected? Any disastrous bugs?